Trump Presses Putin to End Ukraine War for Trade and Better Ties, Kremlin Says

US President Donald Trump pressed Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine, the Kremlin said Tuesday. The two leaders spoke by phone for about an hour. Trump told Putin peace was the key to reopening trade and restoring full relations between the United States and Russia.

Yuri Ushakov, a Putin adviser, said Trump argued an early end to the war would bring big economic benefits to both countries, and Putin supported that idea. Putin described the battlefield and what the United States could do to stop the fighting. The two presidents agreed to continue prisoner exchanges and stay in contact.

US representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Moscow and Kyiv over the weekend to work on peace. Washington has proposed three-way talks with Russia and Ukraine, but no date or place has been set.

The obstacles are still serious. Russia demands Ukraine withdraw its troops from parts of eastern Donetsk and give up Western military support. Ukraine rejects this because it would let Russia prepare a new attack.

The gap between talk and war was clear within hours. Moscow announced a short ceasefire during their visit, but after they left Russia again struck Kyiv. Ukrainian rescue services reported deaths and damage to homes. Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine's foreign minister, said: "The moment the US president's peace envoys left, Putin launched another massive, horrific attack against Kyiv." So a constructive phone call was not enough to stop the bombs, and a lasting ceasefire is still far away.